Auxiliary collapsible seat



Sept. 5, 1950 a. STARR 2,521,265

AUXILIARY COLLAPSIBLE SEAT Filed May 14, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 PatentedSept. 5, 1 950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUXTLIARY "COLLAPSIBLE SEATGeorge Starr, Somerv'ille, Mass, assignor to The Look Fast Company,Iiic., Boston, Mass, a cor-- poration of Massachusetts Application May14, 1946, Serial N o. 6693M? Claims.

Generically this invention relates to seats or chairs, butit is moreparticularly directed to an auxiliary adjustable seat for childrenadapted "to be supported on a conventional chair, bench, automobile seatand the like.

one of the" principal objects: of this invention is the provision or achilds chair or the above character adapted to be readily adjustedtodiiferent heights and compactly foldable when not use.

vision of an auxiliary seat for children including a top and bottomframe structure, a seat surmounting the top frame and suction or vacuumfoot means connected to the bottom frame, said frames being connected bycompound foldable and extensible brace structures at opposite sides ofsaid frames and gravity controlled releasable locking means inconnection with said brace structures adapted to automatically lock saidbraces at any desired seat supporting position upon elevation of theseat, and upon inversion of said seat, said locking means beingautomatically releasable to effect folding. or collapsing of the seatupon the downward movement of said bottom frame.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the construction,combination, and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully describedand claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which likecharactors of reference indicate like parts throughout the severalfigures, of which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation ofmy improved seat in collapsed position.

Fig. 2 is a similar view to Fig. 1 with the seat in complete elevatedposition.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on the line 3- -3 ofFig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a detailed transverse section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevation of the locking bar and portions ofthe brace structures.

Fig. 6 is a view'similar to Fig. 5 viewed from the rear.

A further object of this invention is the pro- 20' Fig.7 is a plan viewof Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a horizontal section taken on the line 8-8 of Fig, 5.

Fig. 9 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 9*9 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 10 is a transverse vertical section on the line Ill-40 of Fig. 5.

The auxiliary booster seats for children so as to properly seat them atdesired heights at tables, benches, or the like, with which I amfamiliar, have proven deficient in: many respects, such as not beingadjustable as to height, and, therefore, requiring makeshift means, notonly troublesome but insecure and dangerous, and easily shiftable uponmovement of the child causing likelihood of injury by the displacementof the seat, and if adjustable and having means for securing the boosterseats to chairs and the like comprising complex means renderingadjustment difficult, such means also being likely to mar the supportingchair, and it was to overcome such disadvantages th-atI designed myimproved adjustable booster chair for children forming the subjectmatter of this invention, comprising vacuum or suction feet elementsadapted by the weight of the child to anchor the seat structure to itssupportingsurface, therebyobviating accidental displacement, andincluding pairs of brace members, the members of each pair being pivotedto the upper and lower frames at one end, and to each other at the otherend, and locking bar means coasting with the adjacent connected ends ofthe said pairs adapted upon the upward movement of the seat portion toautomatically lock said braces to maintain said seat at any desiredlevel within its range of adjustment, and upon removal of the seatdevice from its anchored position and reversal thereof, to automaticallypermit collapsing or folding of said device by downward pressure uponthe inverted frame.

In the illustrated embodiment characterizing this invention there isshown a childs booster seat or chair A, comprising, in the presentinstance, a bottom frame l constructed from a one-piece angle iron bentand welded or otherwise connected at its meeting end to form four equalsides 2, and a top frame 3' comprising sides 4 entirely similar to saidbottom frame except being in'inverted position, and a brace bar 5rounded at its ends pivotally connected at its upper end ii to side 4 offrame 3 by rivet or bo'ltl, and a similar bar 3 pivotally attached toside 4 at itsopposite end by a similar rivet or bolt 1. A similar bar 9is connected by a pin [0, similar to pin 1, to side member 2 of frame Ibeing formed with a smooth surface 2 I.

in vertical alignment with pin 1 of bar 5, and a bar II is attached tothe opposite end of side 2 by pin ID in vertical alignment with pin 1 ofsaid bar 8. Bars and 9 are of a length adapted to intersect or overlieeach other at a point slightly beyond the vertical median line of saidinterconnected frame structure and at a point substantially central ofthe height of said frame, as shown in extended position in Fig. 2, andare connected at their meeting ends by bolt I2.

Bars 8 and II are similar in length to bars 5 and 9 and are adapted tobe connected to each other at their meeting ends by bolt I3, and it willbe noted that bars 5 and 9 constitute a pivotally connected pair I4 andbars 8 and I I constitute a similarly connected pair I5. Bar 8 isadapted to overlie bar 5 and bar I I to underlie bar 9 so that the freeslidable and foldable movement of said bars may be had during the upwardand downward movement of frame 3 with respect to frame I, as willhereinafter appear, and in order to prevent any binding, the underlyingbars 5 and II are spaced from the sides 4 and 2, respectively, bywashers I6 mounted on the pins or rivets 'I and I0, respectively, aswill be well understood.

Pivotally mounted on pin I3 spaced from brace II by washer I1 is asubstantially rectangular locking bar I8 formed with a longitudinalcutout portion I9, the upper edge of said opening I9 being formed with aplurality of ratchet or locking teeth 20, the lower edge of said openingI9 Mounted on said pin or bolt I2 and adapted to engage the surface ofbrace 5 is washer 22, said bolt being preferably formed with an enlargedportion 23 of a size adapted to engage behind the teeth 20 and, the endof said bolt being formed with an enlarged head 24, said head being of asufiicient size to prevent disengagement of said locking bar whether inlocking or unlocking position as will directly more fully appear.Mounted on frame 3 and suitably secured thereto by screws or othersuitable means is, in the present instance, an upholstered seat 25.

It will be noted that the dual pairs of brace bars or elements I4 and I5and the locking bar I8 associated with the inner pivoted ends of saidpairs as above described, are similarly connected to the remaining threesides of the upper and lower frame sections 3 and 2, and they constitutethe extensible and collapsible interconnecting frame structure betweenthe supporting base frame section and the upper seat supporting section.

Connected to the horizontal portion of the lower or base frame section Iat each of its four corners is a reilient vacuum cup or suction chairsupporting foot member 26 constructed of rubber or other suitablematerial with a bolt 2'! having one end moulded therein or extendingtherethrough, said bolt extending through the horizontal portion of saidframe I and attached by nut 28 threadedly or otherwise secured thereon.These members 26 when positioned on a supporting surface 29, which maybe a conventional chair seat, bench, floor, vehicle seat or the like,are adapted when force or weight is applied to the seat 25 to grip saidsurface and prevent vertical or lateral displacement of the chair, sothat accidental injury to the child occupant by the sliding or shiftingmovement of the chair occasioned by movement of the child is prevented.

It is thought that the operation of the above device is clear from theabove description, but it might be well to further state that thecompound and interacting brace structures at opposite sides of the framesections, together with said frame sections constitute a collapsibleseat supporting frame structure, and the respective locking bars I8pivotally connected to pins I3 of the pairs of brace elements I5 adaptedto movably engage pins I2 of the oppositely extending pairs I4 aregravity controlled, so that when the seat 25 is moved upwardly to anydesired height, said bars will pass over the pins I2 and droprespectively, into a tooth 20 at whatever height the seat is arrestedand automatically lock and retain said seat in such selected position.When it is desired to remove the said device A from surface 29 it willonly be necessary to intentionally manipulate the feet members 26 toloosen the gripping action of said members in a well known manner. Whenit is desired to collapse the said seat or chair device it is onlynecessary to invert said chair, whereupon the locking bars aregravitationally disengaged from the pins I2 which engage the smoothsurface 2I, whereby downward pressure upon base frame I collapses thedevice to the completely folded and compact position shown in Fig. 1, sothat it may be easily portable and adapted to occupy a minimum space.

It will thus be observed that I have designed a child's auxiliarybooster seat so that it may be readily adjustable to position the childwith respect to a table to accommodate children of different sizes,automatically lockable at any desired height within its range ofadjustment and, upon inversion, automatically releasable to permitcomplete foldability, yet manufacturable at a reasonable cost, andefficient for the purposes intended.

Although in practice it has been found that the form of the inventionillustrated in the accompanying drawings and referred to in the abovedescription as the preferred embodiment is the most efficient andpractical, yet since conditions concurrent with the adoption of theinvention will necessarily vary, it is well to emphasize that variousminor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangement ofparts, may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claimswithout departing from or sacrificing any of the principles of theinvention.

Having thus described the invention, what is desired protected byLetters Patent is as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. An auxiliary collapsible seat or chair, comprising a lower framesection, an upper frame section, a seat attached to said upper framesection, and a collapsible frame structure therebetween, said framestructure including dual pairs of brace elements, the elements of eachpair being pivotally interconnected at their inner ends and at theirouter ends pivotally connected to said upper and lower frame sections,the respective pairs at their inner pivotally connected ends beingslidably interlocked, a means pivotally connected to the inner pivotedends of one pair of said elements and coacting with the pivoted ends ofthe remaining pair for securing said frame structure in a wholly orpartially collapsed condition to support the upper frame section at aselected elevation with respect to the lower frame section.

2. An auxiliary collapsible seat or chair, comprising a lower base framesection, an upper seat frame section, an interconnecting collapsibleframe structure including dual pairs of brace members, each pair ofbrace members being pivotally interconnected at their inner ends, thefree ends of said members being pivotally connected to said upper andlower frame sections, and a locking bar pivotally connected to one pairof said brace members at the interconnected ends thereof, and includingmeans for detachably engaging the pivotal connection of the remainingends of said braces for securing said collapsible frame at anypredetermined position, whereby to support said upper frame section at aselected elevation with respect to said lower frame section.

3. An auxiliary collapsible seat or chair, comprising a lower framesection, an upper frame seat section, and interconnecting meanstherebetween for supporting the seat upper frame section at a selectedelevation above the lower frame section, said means including atopposite sides thereof, divergent collapsible brace elements, themeeting ends of the elements of each brace being pivotally connected toeach other and their outer ends being pivotally connected, one to theseat upper frame section and the other to the lower frame section, andgravity controlled locking means coacting with the said brace elementsat their meeting ends to automatically secure the seat upper framesection at any selected elevation, and, upon inversion of said chair, toautomatically release said locking means, to permit the collapsing ofsaid chair.

l. An auxiliary collapsible seat or chair comprising upper and lowerrelatively movable frame sections, a seat carried by said upper section,a pair of foldable brace members, one of said members having one endconnected to the upper frame section, and the other connected at one endto the lower frame section, at one side of said sections and extendinginwardly along said side, and their other ends to each other, and asimilar pair of brace members extending inwardly along the other side ofsaid section similarly connected to said frame sections and to eachother, and locking means associated with said connected ends operableautomatically upon the upward movement of said upper frame section tosupportingly lock said frame section at any desired level within itsadjustable range.

5. An auxiliary collapsible seat or chair comprising an upper framesection, a seat in connection therewith, a lower frame section, feetmean in connection with said lower frame anchoringly engageable with asupporting surface, dual pairs of brace elements, each pair of saidelements being pivotally interconnected at their inner ends, and attheir outer ends piovtally connected to said upper and lower framesections, and a gravity actuated locking means pivotally connected tothe inner pivoted ends of one pair of said elements and coacting withthe pivoted inner ends of the remaining pair for securing said upperframe section at any selected position, whereby to support said seat ata selected elevation with respect to said lower frame section.

GEORGE STARR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 124,281 Morstatt Mar. 5, 18721,967,533 Koop July 24, 1934 2,233,262 Jacobson Feb. 25, 1941 2,411,137Neufeld Nov. 12, 1946

